Few cities anywhere have transformed as quickly as Abu Dhabi — understanding that recent history changes how you see the skyline.
Abu Dhabi's story is generally traced to the Bani Yas tribe settling around a freshwater well on Abu Dhabi Island in the mid-18th century, building Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower and later the seat of the ruling family. For nearly two centuries, the economy centred on pearling, fishing and modest trade — a fraction of the scale visible today.
Oil was discovered in the late 1950s, and revenue began transforming the emirate through the 1960s under the rule of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who became the driving force behind both Abu Dhabi's development and, in 1971, the formation of the United Arab Emirates — uniting seven emirates, including Abu Dhabi and Dubai, into a single federation with Abu Dhabi as its capital.
From the 1970s onward, Abu Dhabi rebuilt itself at extraordinary speed — new infrastructure, education and healthcare systems, and eventually the cultural ambitions now visible on Saadiyat Island and the entertainment complex on Yas Island. Sheikh Zayed's legacy is honoured throughout the city, most visibly in the mosque that bears his name.
